Application by father for permission to appeal, with appeal to follow, refusal to adjourn contact proceedings as the father was not fit to give evidence on the day. Application granted and appeal allowed.

Application for a parental order under s 30 of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 - Californian surrogacy agreement provided for $23,000 to be given to the surrogate mother - whether this breached s.30(7). Held, the order would be made as these applicants would not have been prevented from parenting children in this country, and the sums involved were not greatly disproportionate to expenses reasonably incurred.

Cohabitee property dispute - woman contended that property held in accordance with a draft Deed of Co-ownership - man contends that the property is held in equal shares - woman sought to introduce into evidence a letter from the man to her, marked 'without prejudice', which indicated he accepted that his interest was as per the Deed. The judge considered that the letter was admissible. The man appealed. His appeal was allowed.

Applications by the guardian and the local authority for permission to appeal against the dismissal of the local authority's application for an interim care order. Permission granted and appeals allowed.

Application by child's mother, seeking permission to appeal against findings concerning the causation of the child's injuries, in the course of the care proceedings. Permission granted but appeal dismissed.

Appeal by maternal grandmother of a 3-year-old child from an order of the Court of Appeal upholding the decision of the High Court to reverse a family proceedings court’s decision to refuse an application by his father that the child should live with him rather than with the grandmother, who had cared for him since his birth. Appeal allowed.

The autonomous European Community interpretation of habitual residence, unlike the domestic interpretation, did not accord determinative significance to the length of time a person spent in or out of a country, whether initially to acquire or to lose habitual residence.

Application by media institutions for permission to attend hearings in the Court of Protection concerning a severely disabled young adult who possesses remarkable gifts, the practice of which have brought him to public and international attention. Permission granted.

Words of endorsement of Mr Justice McFarlane regarding the decision of the father to agree to the withdrawal of medical treatment for the child, who is profoundly disabled and will always be totally dependent upon an artificial ventilation machine.

Mother took the children from Ireland to England without the father's knowledge. Father sought their summary return. Mother claimed that earlier consent given by husband still continued. Held, that consent was still operative. The judge then exercised his discretion not to order the children to be returned to Ireland.